Photography: Nighttime Scenes, Coney Island 6/20/26

Nighttime Scenes, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC 6/20/26: I stopped at Nathan’s for food, and while there I wound up sharing a table with a group of folks, who grew up in the same part of Queens I grew up in — Elmhurst, Corona and Flushing. Beers were had. A lengthy conversation ensued. It became a lovely evening and no one was really in a rush. That was until around 9:00. At this point, I had been out at Coney Island 8.5 hours — and I had a two hour commute back to Queens. 

But instead of rushing back, I walked around a bit more, quietly reveling in my surroundings. 

When I was a boy, my family didn’t go to Coney Island. From Corona, it’s a trek. Rockaway Beach was a much shorter trip and they had free parking around Beach 90th Street. As an adult, Coney Island has a firm hold on my heart — even if I don’t head out there often. 

At night is a riotous cacophony of music from the rides, arcades and bars, the shouts of people on the rides, the clicking, clacking and whirring of amusement park rides and games. The smell of hot dogs, french fries, cotton candy and barbecue waft in the air. There are folks nutcrackers and other mixed drinks from backpacks and coolers. Teens are giddily roughhousing. Some of the adults, too. You turn around and see young people in love. (Being young and in love in New York is different than anyplace else.) And it’s all under flashing neon lights!